Product Description

This timely volume begins with a detailed timeline that provides an excellent summary of U.S. and Utah Territory events associated with the war. The authors outline how the Utah War (1857-58) directly affected the Civil War, explore the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and the Mormons, and explain the history and use of Joseph Smith's "Civil War Prophecy." The authors share Civil War comments and correspondence by nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint Church leaders, recount the ninety-day active duty military service of the Lot Smith Utah Cavalry Company (Utah Territory's only direct military contribution to the Civil War), and discuss the Nauvoo Legion's service in Utah during the war. The writers tell the story of the establishment of Camp Douglas near Salt Lake City in 1862, describe LDS wartime emigration, review how Northern and Southern newspapers viewed Utah and Mormons throughout the war, consider settler and Indian relations, and examine the January 1863 Indian massacre at Bear River.

Additionally, readers will find the reasons that motivated Mormons to enlist as Union and Confederate soldiers, the impact of the war's aftermath on Latter-day Saints, Mormon participation in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), and the GAR's 1909 National Encampment in Salt Lake City. The book is also richly illustrated with period photographs and images.

How many Latter-day Saints participated in the Civil War, and who were they? The answers to those questions have remained elusive—until now. Civil War Saints also includes the most thoroughly researched list of Latter-day Saint Civil War veterans ever published.

Contributors

William P. MacKinnon

Sherman L. Fleek

Scott C. Esplin

Mary Jane Woodger

Craig K. Manscill

Richard E. Bennett

Brett D. Dowdle

Joseph R. Stuart

Kenneth L. Alford

Ephriam D. Dickson III

Brant W. Ellsworth

Harold Schindler

William G. Hartley

Robert C. Freeman

Andrew C. Skinner

Ardis E. Parshall

Reviews

Average rating:

(based upon one review)

Scholarly and fascinatingBy Christina, Submitted on 2015-02-25

This is an impressive and exciting scholarly work that fills an important gap in Civil War history. Here at National Defense University, Civil War historians are passing this book around gleefully -- it's the first "new information" to come out in a long while! The work is well-researched, comprehensive, and accessible to Mormons and non-Mormons alike. Congratulations on a fine bridging work.